BiggerPockets

Welcome Dale,

Your friend Bryan is right, this is a great resource. Check out the blogs, and the forums and you will gather a wealth of information and contacts on here.

Welcome, Dale!
This is a GREAT place to learn.

Dale, Bryan is right, not only is this a great place to get started, but it's also great for continued learning networking,and deal making. Welcome!

Welcome Again Dale!

In response to your request for tips and advice I'd have to say this:

-Explore 1-2 different approaches you want to focus on. There's so many different facets of Real Estate Investing (REI) that anyone new to it could quickly become overwhelmed. Perhaps ask Bryan (or the general community here!) what would fit with what you're trying to accomplish. Building wealth for you+ your family is a great starting point and totally possible but you need to narrow your focus to be successful in a given Model.

Models/Strategies include (certainly not limited too:
-Bird-Dogging (Finding Sellers/Buyers for a fee. This is the easiest and most common way for new investors to get their feet wet)
-Buy and Hold for long-term appreciation&Cash Flow generation
-Wholesaling or Flipping
-New Construction
-Commercial; Multi-Family Homes, Apartments
-Private Money Lending (Be VERY Carefull!!)
-Land Contract Note Investing

This truly is a great site with lots of FREE education and resources. I've made some very valuable contacts and created some strong networking relationships.

There's a lot on here so don't hesitate to ask questions (It may have been asked already!) and congrats on your decision to get into it!

Keep us posted on your progress and remember that the only stupid questions are those not asked!

Patrick K